Damian Thompson is Editor of Telegraph Blogs and a columnist for the Daily Telegraph. He was once described by The Church Times as a "blood-crazed ferret". He is on Twitter as HolySmoke. His latest book is The Fix: How addiction is taking over your world. He also writes about classical music for The Spectator.

Cameron and Brown are evasive on immigration, say Frank Field and Nicholas Soames

One of the unlikeliest – and best – double acts in British politics is once again speaking truth to power. Frank Field and Nicholas Soames are unimpressed by David Cameron's fleeting reference to immigration in his speech yesterday, which was little more than a slippery grace-note, and by Gordon Brown's continuing evasiveness on the subject. Here is their statement, issued as Co-Chairmen of the Cross-Party Group on Balanced Migration:

“The British people need more than words on immigration, they need commitment. So far, all our political leaders have chosen to avoid specific commitments. For example, David Cameron said in Brighton that immigration has been 'too high' and 'needs to be cut'. What he didn’t say was by how much. Nor was there any mention of immigration by Gordon Brown at the Labour party’s Welsh Conference last weekend.

"Before the General Election, the British people need a clear commitment from all major parties, to a level of net migration which will prevent our population from reaching 70 million in 20 years as currently projected. To achieve this, balanced migration is an inescapable requirement. The electors need a clear answer to the question of how the next government will bring our unprecedented population growth under control.”

Well said. Labour, Tory – I don't care. I'd vote for either of these guys.